On behalf of the 1 Million Women team I'd like to welcome Christine Lagarde, one of the world's most influential women, to Australia this week.
The head of the powerful International Monetary Fund is coming down under as part of preparations for Australia hosting the G20 global meeting of leading national economies later this year.
Ms Lagarde, formerly the high-profile Finance Minister in a conservative government in France, is a world figure whose views simply can't be ignored or dismissed by Australian politicians.
So I was delighted to see her striking portrait on the cover of the GOOD WEEKEND magazine at the weekend, and thrilled to hear her timely message to Australia on climate change via the news pages of The Sydney Morning Herald.
Interviewed in Paris before flying to Australia, she urged the current Australian Government - led by the Prime Minister and Minister for Women, Tony Abbott MP - not to abandon Australia's historic role as a 'pioneer' on climate change action.
She was quoted as saying: 'Australia was very much at the forefront. Australia was pioneering in this field and I would hope that it continues to be a pioneer... I do think that climate change issues and progress in that regard are critical and are not just fantasies, they are real issues.'
I've been reading up on Ms Lagarde and I think she is in for a shock when she sees firsthand where Australia currently is headed. By that I mean massive regression on climate action and environmental protection, a Great Barrier Reef in peril, dangerous destabilising of the renewable energy sector and clean technology, and a Federal Cabinet with 18 men and only a single woman making all the big decisions for the nation.
Below I have reproduced part of a landmark speech Ms Lagarde made a bit over a year ago to the 2013 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, titled 'A New Global Economy for a New Generation' .
The speech shows a woman at the top of her game who is deeply concerned about gender equality and inclusion, intergenerational equity and climate change - all matters that go to the heart of why 1 Million Women exists.
Extract of Ms Lagarde's 2013 Davos speech:
'Gender inclusion is critically important, and, frankly, too often neglected by policymakers. In today’s world, it is no longer acceptable to block women from achieving their potential. Think about it: women control 70 percent of global consumer spending. 'All studies point to the economic benefits of full female participation in the labor force, in the economy, in society. One recent study estimates that by simply raising women’s employment rates to the level of men, GDP would jump significantly—by 5 percent in the United States, 9 percent in Japan, 10 percent in South Africa, 27 percent in India, and 34 percent in Egypt. 'The evidence is clear, as is the message: when women do better, economies do better. So policymakers and economic leaders must do better in supporting women. That means we must tear down all obstacles in the path of women, even the subconscious obstacles of the mind. 'One other point on inclusion: we need a greater sense of solidarity across generations. We need to be cognizant of the legacy we are leaving for those who will come after us. One such legacy is public debt, which now hovers around 110 percent of GDP among the advanced economies—the highest level since World War II. We owe it to the next generation to put in place credible plans to reduce this burden on them. 'Even more important is the issue of climate change, which, in my view, is by far the greatest economic challenge of the 21 st century. The science is sobering—the global temperature in 2012 was among the hottest since records began in 1880. Make no mistake: without concerted action, the very future of our planet is in peril. 'So we need growth, but we also need green growth that respects environmental sustainability. Good ecology is good economics. This is one reason why getting carbon pricing right and removing fossil fuel subsidies are so important. This too is an element of inclusion.'
Again, welcome to Australia Ms Lagarde and thanks a million for your wise and passionate insights. Please do whatever you can to steer Australia back on course on climate action.